Rob Greenfield – A Zero Waste Culture Role Model

1. In short, like a sentence-ish if you can, what does your activism entail?

I try to take everyday things food we eat, water we drink, cars we drive, the things we take for granted, I get people to think about them and so that their actions are in alignment with their belief. And destroy the world less. I use visuals, and use simple symbols to get people to free.

2. Is this a full-time thing?

It is my entire life.

3. If so, how easy is it to create a livelihood out of your activism? What have been the challenges? (what did you do before)

I hasn’t been at all difficult. The main reason being because ive simplified my life so much. Which also means I can dedicate so much of my life to my activism. I keep my activism costs minimalist. Last year I made 8,000 dollars, and the year before 5,000. Channel that money into the nonprofits.
I don’t like raising funds, I don’t like doing it. My call to action is not donate, it is to change your life.

4. What is your activism origin story? How did you get involved in this calling/line-of-work/space?

In 2011, average American lifestyle. I was doing what I was doing because I was sold on these ideas and these. This quickly transformed into activism.

I enjoyed getting people’s attention from how many beers I could slam, in stead of crushing beer records I was crushing other records.

5. A particular watershed/meaningful moment in your activism career?

What keeps me going is not the individual moments. But that they’ve changed their lives. People are constantly making changes according to his example. Im there with them helping them be there better for the earth. My life feels worthwhile.

7. What fuels you?

The urgency of now. The need to live a life that is in radical harmony with the natural world.

8. What is a bad habit of yours?

Wasting time on the computer/social media. Imbalance of amount of time spent online. I have spent thousands of hours getting distracted. I lose sleep and im less effective because of it.

9. What is a good habit of yours?

Organisation skills. Spreadsheet meticulousness. Contacts and past campaigns organised in such as way that lots of time is saved. I see lots of activists fail at this. Even though our desire to change the world doesn’t necessarily go hand in hand with spreadsheet dexterity, it certainly helps.

10. Do you have an activism hero? (famous or personal acquaintance) How/why

Vandana Shiva. Unabashedly direct.

Winona La Duke. Visited her hemp farm.

Mark Boyle, the moneyless man. I am partly me because of him. A large part.

11. What was the last film/TV show that really made an impression on you?

What the Bleep Do We Know?
Everything in this movement comes down to perception.

12. What is good advice you’ve received from a wise activism wizard?

Make sure to do what you need to do to not burn out. Many go hard for a year or two and cant handle it anymore. Ideally you should be an activist for life.

13. If you were to step into the role of wise activism wizard what would you advise young activists?

Think about what you want out of life and how you can connect to what you want out of life to making a difference. Passion is king. Don’t pick a cause because you think it is important if you are not wildly excited by it. And enjoy it.

14. How do you take care of yourself?

I take of myself by doing what I want. Even though I take on too many projects, I only take on stuff that I am excited about. I am able to choose how I want to live my life. Wanting to do what I’m doing.

15. What is the fucked up thing about the world you don’t work on, that you find most important?

How women and young girls are treated, sex slavery and trafficking.

16. What do you want to be when you grow up?

I hope I stay who I am today. The real challenge is maintaing who I am today. Not tiring of it and taking the easy road. Giving in to convenience and the easy road. I wont do the same things. I largely. Hopefully.

17. Open mic! Any we left out that you’d like to mention?